Councils admit to 'secret searches' on residents' rubbish

More than 80 councils in England have admitted completing secret searches on householders' rubbish in an effort to find out how much people are recycling, it was reported today.

Following requests under the Freedom of Information Act, it has emerged that 87 councils in England approved the examinations to determine where resources should be spent to increase recycling rates, according to reports.

In Kent, 11 councils allowed more than 2,000 homes to have their bins examined without their owners' knowledge as part of a waste audit last December.

One council in the county, Dartford Borough, opted out of the scheme, with its leader, Jeremy Kite, insisting that specific permission should be sought from the homeowner first.

Mr Kite said tonight: "I'm all for telling people that we would like them to improve their waste output but going through their rubbish without telling them is, in my view, a breach of trust with the residents.

"People have the right to dispose of their waste in an anonymous way and I think it's a step too far if their waste is gone through without them knowing about it."

The Local Government Association (LGA) said gaining a clearer picture of people's bin habits could help householders understand what they can recycle.

But the method has been described as "underhand" by critics, such as the TaxPayers' Alliance, amid concern it could lead to councils bringing in fines for residents.

Susie Squire, the TaxPayers' Alliance campaign manager, said: "Taxpayers are sick and tired of being spied on by their local councils. There are far more constructive and honest ways of encouraging recycling.

"It's not appropriate for councils to use taxpayers' money and council resources for these initiatives, especially as we are in a recession and many councils are saying they have decreased revenues."

An LGA spokesman said: "Councils are paying ever more to throw people's rubbish away and boosting recycling is essential to keeping council tax down.

"Helping people to understand better what they can and can't recycle is vital if councils are to spend less on rubbish and more on things like caring for old people and fixing potholes.

"Getting a clear picture of householders' bin habits can be an important step in giving people better bin collections."